No Fame, No Fortune, No Problem

I don't understand the obsession that so many people seem to have with notoriety, celebrity status, and wealth. I have real trouble fathoming why someone would want their every activity and word constantly made public for others to attempt to derive significance from. Movie stars, in general, are idiots. Yes, there are some notable exceptions, but for the most part their opinions are no more than the rehashed drivel spouted by their friends. Yet people seem to give these fountains of uninformed groupthink such serious merit simply because they come from someone they recognize. Hollywood Intelligentsia is an oxymoron.

Also, gathering great wealth certainly has benefits, but those whom control the real power behind such wealth are generally not the flashy idiots who can be seen spending huge sums of money for no more reason than to show that they have it. (Rich Kids of Instagram, for example). The truly monied families of this world, while having recognizable names, are not notorious for acting like morons with their fortunes. Yes, they certainly live extremely comfortable lifestyles, but they generally do so without overtly rubbing others' faces in it.

Me? I don't particularly care to have either. I don't want to be famous. Sure, as a kid I wanted to be a movie star for a while. What kid doesn't at some point? But no longer. At all. Nor do I still long for immeasurable wealth or control over others. Why would anyone want that?

Yes, I want ENOUGH money to live comfortably. I would like to retire at some point and spend my last year's relaxing and enjoying my family. I don't want to have to die at the grindstone to keep my loved ones fed. But I absolutely would not want to be rich as the term is normally understood. It is far more of a burden than a blessing.

Some might say that I could put the excess to good use with charitable works. Yeah, I could, but I could also just work for a charity. I don't need riches to do good things. And it's far less of a headache that way, anyhow.

Ok, sorry for the rant. Just something that's been stuck in my proverbial teeth for a while. Have a great one, ATS.

Love ya,
pfishy

a reply to: pfishy

Working for a charity is vastly different to being charitable.
I've done both.

Often what passes for success is simply managing to finally afford blinders.

Money handles most people, as the saying goes. It fuels a lifestyle of mindless vanity,
and blindness to it.

Not every successful person succumbs to this pitfall. But the exception is rare.

# 723

a reply to: pfishy
A baby knows itself to be the centre of the universe.
As we grow up, we must compromise with the rest of the world and give up that position.
Some people struggle more than others in resisting the compromise, hence the psychological need to feel well-known or important.

a reply to: grainofsand

Perhaps I should have said volunteering for a charity
Sorry for not being quite clear.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Very good perspective on that. Thank.you

a reply to: pfishy

Ah I get ya now.
No need sorry...too many folk expect that on ATS for simply misunderstanding #.

a reply to: grainofsand

Good point
I simply wasn't specific enough. Problem solved.

a reply to: pfishy



Bob is one of the most famous musicians the world has ever known. He is a multi, multi millionaire, yet look at where his comfort zone is.

Some people who have a lot of money know how to handle it. The same with fame. Others do not.

I think celebrity is good because it makes people go for it and try. It encourages our development and evolution.

Same with education. You guys have Yale and Harvard. We in the UK have Cambridge and Oxford. They are like the flagships of our education systems. It works very well.

It is the same in all areas of human activity. We have to have the best and the famous as a reference point of where we are at in terms of our evolution. The force of evolution itself uses this in humans and animals, too. Think about it.

That is the problem with communism. Communism does not encourage. Communism just maintains, does not develop and stagnates. It stays the same while the world keeps changing and it holds everything back, forcing conformity. It works contrary to evolution and nature. Is communism perfect? Is there really no need to evolve? If evolution is still suffering imperfections and adaptation issues big time after billions of years I don't think communism can dare to be spoken of as some magic answer to equal us all out or a way to structure society as some utopian answer to make opportunity and end all our social status woes; just an example.

The diversity is healthy. How grey would it be in my life without all those amazing writers, musicians, actors, artists who make my world and yours go round?

Thinking along the lines of egalitarian society may be technology gives us all access to being our own movie stars and music artists, writers, etc. We can all write and publish a novel, have a home studio and try to sell our music, make a movie or put on a drama. etc. I think this will be the case as the robots free us up and we have time for creativity. I am already doing it and have been doing it a long time.

Still good to have the benchmarks like Bob Dylan.

a reply to: Revolution9

I am vehemently anti-communist. For that exact reason. And like I said, there are exceptions to both things regarding fame and wealth. I respect Bob Dylan and a few others for the exact reason that they are the exceptions and not the common example of fame and fortune. Much the same as I have a grudging respect (I am going to get BLASTED for saying this, I think) for the Rothschilds and their like. They are stupidly wealthy, but conduct their lives with decorum.

originally posted by: pfishy
a reply to: Revolution9

I am vehemently anti-communist. For that exact reason. And like I said, there are exceptions to both things regarding fame and wealth. I respect Bob Dylan and a few others for the exact reason that they are the exceptions and not the common example of fame and fortune. Much the same as I have a grudging respect (I am going to get BLASTED for saying this, I think) for the Rothschilds and their like. They are stupidly wealthy, but conduct their lives with decorum.

I feel exactly the same as you do about it. So they can blast us both. At least we are brave enough to walk the gauntlet. I think people would be making a big mistake to chase out all those who excel in the various human activities.

a reply to: Revolution9


Indeed.

a reply to: pfishy

There is always a bigger fish. Multigenerational wealth.

Im not a fan of fame. I'd prefer to never leave my house....but i like stuff like lakes and jobs.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Pretty much my philosophy when I can pull it off